Automobile-wheel.



L. CONRAD. AUTOMOBILE WHEEL. i

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11, 1910.

` 985,112. y Patented 111011.21, 1911) M -'ZMK M M FIZ-5:24'

l -R gj'g/AK I OQGQO@ if TH: NoRms PETERS co.. wAsHlNnfoN, D, cA

LOUIS CONRAD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMOBILE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application led March 11, 1910. Serial No.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911. 548,692.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Wheels, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cushion wheels, and has for its main object the provision of novel and elfective means for obtaining the desired cushion effect in automobile and like wheels without the aid of puncturable pneumatie tires.

A further object of my invention is to provide a wheel by means of which the same cushioning effect'as is obtained by a pneumatic tire will be provided without the danger of punctures, and the longevity of which will materially exceed that of the ordinary pneumatic tire. y

A still further object of my invention is to provide a wheel of this character which will be extremely simple in construction, and have no delicate parts or springs liable to become damaged or out of order and thus affect the proper working of the wheel.

1With the above and other object-s in view which will appear as the description proceeds and the invention is described in detail, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter appear, and in describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this invention, and wherein like reference characters will be employed to designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, in whichz' Figure l is an elevation of a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, partially in section to better illustrate the detailed construction. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of the wheel on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a part of the tire of the wheel, and, Fig. 4f is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view of a portion of the wheel tire.

The invention aims to provide a shock absorbing wheel not liable to puncture, and to put my invention into practice I provide a wheel rim A, preferably made of steel or other suitable metal, though obviously other material than metalA may be employed. This wheel rim A surrounds the wheel body which comprises the felly C, spokes D, and hub D, together with the annular clampwhich latter are secured to the felly C and spokes D as by bolts `b extending therethrough.

On the felly C is a'metal (preferably steel) ring F, the outer face of which is slightly concave and the inner face of which is slightly convex, as plainly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This ring F has its ends received in the pockets provided by the o'- set ends of a plate P secured to the felly C, see Fig. l. Wedges E are inserted between the walls of the felly C and the ring F to tighten the ring on the wheel, and these wedges are held in place by the tire securing members B. The ring F is provided at the opposite side edges thereof with annular seats F', see Fig. 2, for a purpose as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The rim or tire portion of the wheel as heretofore stated surrounds the body of the wheel, the bodyA being provided with channels H therethrough radially of the wheel and which at their inner ends communicate with an air chamber R which surrounds the annular ring F, and is formed by providing the rim A on its inner face with an annular recess of a width to leave annular Hanges am at opposite sides of the rim A which seat in the recesses F, and the outer faces of which Hanges are engaged by the securing members B, the flanges ctbeing thus clamped between the shoulders on the ring F and the securing members B.

The channels H are separated from each other by partitions as is clearly apparent by reference to Figs. 2 to 4, and in the outer ends of the channels H is fitted gaskets K, which receive piston rods G, the pistons g of which neatly lit in an air-tight manner with the walls of the channels H. On the outer ends of the piston rods G are metal caps -mprovided with rubber tip's or buttons M. Compressed air is introduced into the chamber R in the ordinary manner through a valve N which may be of the usual type, and mounted in the felly C in the usual manner.

rlhe wheel and its tire having been constructed as above described, compressed air is introduced into the air chamber R. The pistons kg` will then be forced to the imit of their outward travel, that is, all of the pistons which are free from obstruction, at their outer ends, those resting on the surtheir travel. As

face being of course at the inward--limit-ofYY the wheel. revolves,vv the pistons will be successively engaged around the peripheryof the wheel and .forced in-A wardly7 theirr inward movement being re- Y sistedl byi the air pressure Vcontained within the chamber j thezlimitof their l v tion tobe again engaged as the wheel con- .Besides obtainingl the desired cushioning vtreads of the pistons act toprev *Y VV ofifthe wheel as Vwill be obvious,

i ifgous changes may pneumatic tire and" tire armors or KYpingdevices; v'

`j '-,Wh-il e the described illustrates a R. Obviously, by .this construction the same Vcushioning efectwill'be ,obtained asis obtained by a pneumatic tire.

the pistonspass out of` engagementwith .'.the surface over. whichy thejwheel is traveling; they will be againforced outwardly to travel so as. to be in positinuesto revolve.

I effect to thewheelof this constructionythe construction without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope thereof asdefined in the appended claim. y Havingfully described my invention what iclaiiii-V v new and vtoseciire by Letters Patent is- A cushion wheel comprising a wheel felly, a ring contacting and surrounding said felly,

a-rim seated on said ring and having an annular recess on its inner face forming' an pair chamber surrounding the wheel, means for clamping the rim to the ring, annular wedges surrounding the Wheel 0nv opposite sides thereof andrpositioned between the ringl and the felly inV contactk with the clamping' meansbsaid rim having radial channels communicating with the air chambenk pistons slidably'mounted in said channels, gaslets fitted in the outer ends of the channels and' flush 'with the outer periphery of the rim,- tubular rods provided upon said pistons Vand extendingv through said gaskets and projecting 'beyond the periphery 'of the rim, the

outer ends of said rods being screw-threaded,

, metal caps provided lupon said rod endsand rubber coverings upon said caps.

the county of m New York and State of New York this 17th Signed at New York city in of'February A. D. 1910. y

` LOlS CONRAD.

- f Witnesses:

IsiDoR LmnnsoN, Ismonn M. SiLBERMAN. 

